Exercise Self-Care: How To Build Healthy Habits For The Upcoming Year And Beyond

Some individuals may become more focused on learning to build healthy habits as the new year rolls around. However, any moment in the year can be a positive moment to prioritize health and implement a new habit. When the new year arrives, it can be beneficial to brainstorm and create healthy habits you can maintain in the long term and change into a healthy lifestyle. With specific tools, you may train your brain to drop unhealthy patterns and replace your behavior with healthier choices that last the entire year. 

Ways on how to build healthy habits for the New Year 

There are many ways to build healthy habits that last. Consider the following methods of building new behaviors when looking toward the new year. Creating healthy habits that stick long-term can be challenging, but it can help you keep moving forward on your self-improvement journey.

Get specific on each new healthy habit you build

Before taking action or making a healthy choice, learn what specific actions most motivate you and what benefits these healthy habits can offer. 

Some people may be vague in their New Year’s resolutions. For example, they might say, “I’m going to eat healthier,” or “I’m going to exercise more.” However, it can be helpful to narrow these goals down with specifics. Ask yourself what healthy eating looks like. What type of exercise and how much do you want to do? The answers can look different for each individual. When considering how to build healthy habits, it can be crucial to determine the details to help you stay focused and avoid falling into old habits.  

Educate yourself on how to build healthy habits 

Research physical activity, healthy eating habits, and other activities that benefit mental and physical health. For example, you might structure your goals around the following healthy activities: 

• Mindfulness practices
• Sleep hygiene
• Forest bathing
• Massage therapy
• Talk therapy
• Healthy eating 
• Exercise
• Sexual health 
• Healthcare 
• Letting go of old habits

Decide which of these practices would most correspond with your personal goals. Then, research the best ways to implement these healthy activities. Resources for research can include the National Institute of Health (NIH), The American Heart Association, the National Sleep Foundation, and Nutrition.gov. 

Create a personalized plan for your healthy habits

When you’ve decided on a new habit to incorporate, create an actionable plan for building healthy habits that makes sense for your life. Take stock of where you are in the present, and be mindful of your limits. 

For example, if you are currently eating a steady diet of fast food and junk food, it may not make sense to shift entirely to steamed vegetables and grilled chicken. Don’t start subtracting right away, but add healthier behaviors to slowly shift your eating habits. For instance, try adding a vegetable or salad to your dinner or pairing junk food with a piece of fruit. You might also try swapping soda for flavored water. Carry a reusable container of water and drink it throughout the day. Purchasing a high-quality water bottle can make drinking water more appealing and help you resist the urge to visit the vending machine for a soda.

Look at your exercise routine as a healthy habit

When tackling exercise, consider what is possible and beneficial for your own body. If you are someone who already does cardio sessions, think about adding resistance training. If you are more interested in functional fitness, consider balance and flexibility. As humans age, they lose muscle mass, so weightlifting may be a beneficial addition. Setting goals can be about what is best for the individual and their ability. 

If you don’t engage in much physical activity at the moment, but would like to start exercising, know that you don’t necessarily have to spend hours in the gym each week. You might choose to take dance classes, try tai chi, practice yoga, or take walks around your neighborhood. There are many different strategies to consider as you build this healthy habit, and regardless of the type of exercise you prefer, it can reduce stress and help you find friends who are also interested in being active.

Focus on mental health 

Don’t neglect your mental health. Eating healthily, exercising, and practicing sleep hygiene may all contribute to improving mental health, but you can add another type of healthy habit for stress management. Mindfulness practices can help bring your mind into the present moment and relax the body. Try to reduce substance use, such as smoking or drinking, as well. You might choose to replace substance use with healthier choices to make it easier to cut back.

If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.

Use SMART goals 

Research shows that the brain can build healthy habits more effectively if a goal is specific and time-based. SMART is an acronym for the following: 

• Specific: “I want to be healthier” is not a specific goal. However, “I want to improve my cardio so I can run a marathon next fall” is. 
• Measurable: How do you know that you are achieving what you set out to do? Using the previous example of running a marathon, creating a running schedule may help you measure your progress. 
• Attainable: Is this goal attainable for you personally? 
• Relevant: Try to set goals that are important to you instead of those you believe you must achieve for someone else or society.  
• Time-bound: Have time in mind when you create your goal. Don’t throw it out there—make a path to get there by a specific time. 

Set up a reward system 

When you have created your goals for the year, develop strategies to reinforce them positively. For example, you might offer a healthy reward to yourself when you’ve reached certain milestones. You may recruit friends or family members to help keep you on track or buddy up with a friend trying to create healthy habits for themselves. Working toward progress with friends and enjoying a healthy reward together can be an excellent way to integrate good habits into your lives. The accountability provided by others can make it easier to steer clear of unhealthy patterns and achieve success with new habit formation.

Ask for help regarding how to build healthy habits

Therapy may be a beneficial resource if you are serious about lifestyle change but don’t know where to turn. A licensed therapist can offer stress management practices and healthy coping mechanisms and guide you as you reinforce healthy habits.  

If the holidays have you completely swamped, online therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy for creating healthy habits of thought and behavior. With online platforms like BetterHelp, you can get matched with a licensed therapist and meet with them via phone, video, or live chat sessions from anywhere with a stable internet connection. In addition, you can have other resources like journaling prompts and worksheets, which may be motivational throughout the year. 

Studies also back up the effectiveness of online therapy. In one study, internet-based therapy was as effective and sometimes more effective than face-to-face therapy for burnout. Participants of the online intervention found significant reductions in stress and burnout after meeting with a therapist.